Powerful storms and possible tornado cause heavy damage, power outages in Arkansas and Louisiana
Extreme weather has left a trail of destruction in the South. Images taken in the aftermath of strong storms and a possible tornado in western Arkansas show bleachers flung from the stands, light poles snapped in half and a mangled scoreboard at a high school football field.
The storm appears to have occurred "out of the blue," according to superintendent Melissa G. Speers of the Jessieville School District.
"Things began to— awnings began to blow away," she said. "We didn't have any prior warning."
Inside the school, debris littered classrooms as more than 900 students took cover to protect themselves.
CBS affiliate KTHV said thousands were without power Tuesday morning in Arkansas after the storm, which also slammed Union Parish in Louisiana. Homes there were damaged and trees were ripped from their roots in the community which is still reeling from a series of tornadoes that blew through the area last month.
The storm system is part of the same line of storms delivering record rain to northern California. Crews there are in rescue mode after the powerful system flooded streets.
Lupe Rodriguez was trapped in her flooded vehicle near Sacramento after she went to check on her parents.
"My tires were not that bad, (but) all of a sudden, there's a loop that got me down and that was it," she said. "I was done."
As residents continue to clean up, they're also bracing for the next storm. The system is now headed east through the Rockies, delivering heavy snow and prompting avalanche warnings.
Officials spent Monday ensuring that levees aren't breached again since more rain is expected by Saturday.
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- Weather Forecast
- Arkansas
Janet Shamlian is a CBS News correspondent based in Houston, Texas. Shamlian's reporting is featured on all CBS News broadcasts and platforms including "CBS Mornings," the "CBS Evening News" and the CBS News Streaming Network, CBS News' premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service.
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